In recent years, concerns regarding the deterioration of our environment due to plastics waste pollution has grown. A major fraction of these waste plastics are polyolefins, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polystyrene (PS), which are used in industrial applications for a wide range of end consumer products. While the annual growth rates of production and consumption steadily increase, their recycling can reduce the resources required for manufacturing and decrease the impact of their wastes on the environment. The mechanical properties of these recycled materials will heavily depend on the specific process used to recover said plastic and, will in turn, severely impact the applications of the plastics.
Contact: estela@wisc.edu